At times I find it bordering on comical but at other times it makes me mad. Not because it is so nationalistic and anti-Western (in particular towards America but also most countries are subject to its editorials), as I can handle that, but because its not subjective at all. What happened to the news and only the news? I agree that American TV media has become more right wing and opinionated in recent years (mainly regarding political issues) but nowhere near the audacity of this journal.

I can't imagine if Pravda is popular, and if so, how many people actually believe the propaganda behind its "misinformation campaign". I've talked to a friend in Moscow about it and she said that Pravda is an old Communist newspaper that she would never take seriously.

Can anyone else shed some light on Pravda's history and influence? Do people take the paper seriously? I'm very curious about it. Even if I don't agree, I read it for another viewpoint.

Pravda was the organ of the Communist party and I suppose it still is. This may be why it is so anti western. However, criticism of the West and of the USA in particular is common around the world, especially now. I imagine you can find such criticism in many news sources in Russia.

Pravda was the organ of the Communist party and I suppose it still is. This may be why it is so anti western. However, criticism of the West and of the USA in particular is common around the world, especially now. I imagine you can find such criticism in many news sources in Russia.

I agree, such criticism is common and often deservedly-so. I just felt that this paper was not only extreme, but "extremely extreme"

Since the topic of anti-American'ism' has been raised, I wanted to take a moment to offer some candid advice to you and any other 'first-timers' to Russia.

Russians have 'mixed' feelings about the USA. On a personal one-on-one level, they are usually very friendly, welcoming and curious about us. On a deeper level, however, there is still a great deal of mistrust, as well as a feeling of being 'wounded' as a result of having lost the Cold War.

At the same time, and to illustrate the above point in even more detail: I would argue that Russians today are generally more tolerant and accepting of Germans. Why? Because the USSR (together with the USA and many other countries) defeated the Germans in WWII. Despite the enormous casualties of that war, the USSR WON, fair and square, and they accept those human losses as the inevitable cost of that victory. And, to be perfectly blunt, they're just proud that they won it. Plain and simple.

Even today, the National holiday marking the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany (May 9th) is the most widely celebrated holiday on the Russian calendar. It is one of the very few Russian holidays where people of all parties and ideologies set aside their differences and 'come together' to celebrate.

So, my advice is this: Even today, years after the Cold War ... it is still best for Americans (myself included ) NOT to wear our American patriotism on our shirt sleeves. In other words, if you "walk softly" and try to be diplomatic, you will generally have no problems with the 'average folk' here in Russia.

Of course, you can and should 'be yourself'. Don't be afraid to voice your opinions on different issues, but be aware that the mistrust and feeling of being 'wounded' I described above are real, to varying levels depending on the age and education of the people you're with at any given moment.

Kent is correct. Russians are very proud people. One difference I noticed between Russians and Ukrainians is that Russians are more chauvinistic than Ukrainians. Every Russian I asked believed that there was a conspiracy to screw the Russians out of medals in the last Winter Olympics. The veneration of the Great Patriotic War has gone to such extremes that two of my students (20 somethings) believed that Stalin was a great man for no other reason than he "defeated fascism." (I decided not to mention the Molotov-Ribbentropp pact, the purges in the army etc.)

You in Russia, ask your students, or anybody, if they believe that Americans landed on the moon. The responses may surprise you.

Russians even take a certain pride in the Russian mafia. Russians often bragged how the Russian mafia was taking over the US.

But of course, Kent is right. No reason to provoke Anti-American feelings by advertising our identity. And I am well aware that we Americans can appear arrogant to people in other countries.